


Ace Of Clubs

by MortallWarlock



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, F/M, M/M, Magic, Magicians, Rivalry, Slow Burn, Violence, based loosely on The Prestige (2006), i'll add more as this story goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-11-28 14:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11419578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MortallWarlock/pseuds/MortallWarlock
Summary: Set around 1905, londonMagnus Bane is an upcoming and promising magician, learning his skills since a young age, He has keen eyes, a smart brain that can discover the secrets to most of the tricks he sees, he was very serious and passionate about his profession , his dream to be the best magician and to come up with a trick like no other.The Lightwood family is a well-known family of magicians, but the eldest son Alec is fascinated by the design and construction part of the profession. So he becomes an Ingénieur against his parents' wishes, because they expected him to be a magician.With jealousy and rivalry between magicians, how can their paths cross? When both of them have lost so much on their journey?





	1. illusion

**Author's Note:**

> hello ! i did it.. this is my first attempt at writing because this story won't leave my head at all!  
> so all the feedback is welcome and appreciated darlings !
> 
> this chapter is a slow set-up one for the rest of the story
> 
> and big thanks to my lovely beta ana (@Ajenno) ! <3 you are awesome!
> 
> before you read here is some definitions that will be used a lot :
> 
> Ingénieur : a sort of a mechanic /engineer for magicians  
> Famulus : an assistant, especially one working for a magician or scholar.

  
The anticipation before the show. The excited murmurs behind one side of the curtains and the chaotic preparations on the other side of it. That's what makes Magnus Bane shiver with a child's excitement, his fingertips buzzing, thrumming with life.  
  
Because finally, finally! He is here with his own show to perform: ‘The High Magician of London’. Quite the flashy name according to the papers, but it’s Magnus and this title is quite appropriate.  
  
With already forty shows planned and the number of them growing every night, he is a quickly rising magician.  
  
Tonight is his tenth performance and he is still processing everything. It is all surreal.  
  
But it hasn’t been easy to get here, not at all. People who love to gossip say it took him eight years to get here. But the truth is a mystery though, and gossip also calls him a real master of magic! And really, it is quite flattering to be addressed that way.  
  
But for Magnus it has actually been twenty long years. Years of tears, blood, and sweat; of fighting tooth and nail to get here. Because every step in his journey and all the people he met has brought him closer to this, to living his dream. Now he looks at his reflection backstage in his makeshift room before glancing down at the vintage card deck box on the table.  
  
It is a small dark wooden box with floral engravings in the middle and the four corners of the top. As he skims his fingers softly over it, he thinks, 'Finally’. Then he smiles fondly and glances back at his reflection. He is done preparing. His outfit choice for the night is a grey purple waistcoat, a white wing-tipped shirt with a black bow-tie, and a long black tailcoat reaching to his knees. His black long hat awaits at the top of the table, and his slicked back hair has a few loose strands sliding gently over his forehead. His eyes are rimmed with black kohl and his face with glitter. Now he is ready.  
  
“There you are, love!" A voice like velvet and honey calls him, so soft and enchanting, like a spell whispered in his ears, and oh how he loves that voice.  
  
His smile widens as he turns around to face the person that voice belongs to, Camille Belcourt, his lover. She is dressed in a lovely black and red performance outfit, with long feathers touching her pale thighs, making the contrast alarming. Her hair is styled as a loose bun with more feathers adorning it, and her eyes are rimmed with black, lips blood red.  
  
“Ready to blow their minds?” She asks as she wraps her arms around Magnus’ neck and kisses him softly.

“I always am,” he replies with a cheeky grin and she giggles.  
  
He met her exactly one year ago, when he was in the audience watching another magician's performance. It was a common thing to do, to be updated with new tricks and of course to discover how their tricks work. He was seated with his best friend and Ingénieur Ragnor, not that he would admit calling him his best friend out loud.  
  
Of course, he never expected to walk out of that theater with his heart stolen that fateful night. But the famulus shone so bright on that stage, and for the first time Magnus couldn’t actually focus on the magician. His eyes had been glued on the gorgeous famulus as they were supposed to be, at least for the common audience. That was so that they wouldn't keep their eyes on the magician and notice a thing or two that might take away from the trick.  
  
When their eyes had met, she had smiled at him… and he was a goner.  
  
In fact, he went to a couple other performances just to watch her, even though they - Well, Ragnor really (Much to Magnus' disdain) discovered the magician's techniques on that very first day.  
  
Magnus had lost track of her after that, and didn’t know her name. But that didn’t stop him from thinking and fantasizing about her.  
  
After long six months she walked right into their workshop with all the delicate grace she possessed and told him that she wanted to work with them, to be his famulus. She had watched his small shows these past months and she fallen in love with them...with him.  
  
He smiled at the memory before coming back to the present, speaking in an airy tone. “Although I already feel sorry for those young lads who will fall for your beauty tonight." He tells her, pulling her closer by the waist.

Camille smirks and looks at him from under her lashes, “Too bad for them because I already have you.” She kisses him again quickly and pulls back, “ So are you going to perform it tonight?” She asks eagerly.

He brushes his thumbs along her sides before he answers her, “Well I have been thinking about what you suggested and I have decided to do it." There is both excitement and worry in her eyes, and Magnus squeezes her waist affectionately, before reassuring her, “Don’t you worry. That trick is a piece of cake. I’ve already got everything prepared.”

She smiles up at him, “Good,bec-”  
  
“WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT AIRHEADED BUGGER?” Rings the angry voice of his  
green-eyed engineer, which makes both of them flinch.

“I’ll go make last minute adjustments to my hair,” She says as she pulls away quickly, and he watches her go behind the makeshift curtain. Then he sees Ragnor Fell’s angry red face coming his way.  
‘The red color clashes with his eyes,‘ Magnus thinks with amusement.

Ragnor is thirty years old, two years older than Magnus and is almost as tall as Magnus. Ragnor's hair is mostly light gray due to a medical condition “or because your soul is as old as the earth” Magnus always says.

Ragnor's eyes are bright green with a pale skin complexion due to him never leaving his workshop. Poor soul doesn't know how to have a social life, but according to him not all people are worth his time, which is something magnus never understood.  
  
And Magnus doesn't miss the glare Ragnor sends Camille's way either. At that, Magnus rolls his eyes knowing Ragnor has never been fond of Camille, not to mention the feeling is mutual.

Because not only is one of his best friends and his lover always at each other's throats, but they have to work on the same team. And their rehearsals and trick adjustments are like a cold war territory, filled with tension and jabbing remarks; each one of them looking for a chance to attack the other with harsh words. It is stressful and to be honest quite tiring.  
Magnus never understood what Ragnor's problem is with Camille but then again Ragnor has problems with anyone he isn’t used to. However, on the days Catarina, another best friend of theirs, is around, they are like the first sips of water on a hot sunny day. She has always been the peacemaker between the three of them.  
  
“Have you finally gone utterly mad?” Ragnor continues his assault on Magnus’ ears as he enters the makeshift room. Raphael trails after him with a bored look on his face, or at least that's what it looks like to people who don't know him. Magnus can clearly see the mischief in his black eyes though.

“Oi ! don’t you have last-minute things to sort out backstage?” Magnus turns from Ragnor’s fuming face to glare at Raphael.

“Actually I finished 5 minutes ago. Now we are waiting for your grace to walk on the stage,” he replies sarcastically with a raised thin eyebrow, though the show won’t start for another 15 minutes.  
  
“Thankfully so! So he had the time to tell me what you’ve got planned in that shambled brain of yours!” Ragnor is suddenly right there in front of Magnus’ face, his pale finger poking at Magnus’ forehead.  
Magnus quickly swats his hand away, “ What the bloody hell are you talking about?”

“YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, BANE!” Ragnor waves his hands like crazy.

Oh Magnus knows perfectly well, but that doesn’t mean he wants to have this conversation, so he says nothing and raises one eyebrow.  
  
“THE BLOODY BULLET CATCH!!! I thought we were passed that trick, but apparently YOUR BRAIN-”

“Ragnor, for God’s sake’s stop SCREAMING!”

“HAD FINALLY CRACKED!”

“Ragnor it’s okay it’s an old simple-” magnus started arguing to be cut off,  
“SIMPLE, MY FOOT! IT’S SUICIDE!!” Ragnors eyes flashed with anger.

Magnus sighs, “Ragnor i always suspected that something is wrong with that grey head of yours, because we both know pretty well that there is no real bullet involved!”  
  
Really the trick is simple, a gun at the hand of an audience member, who is really just a part of the act then a panel of glass between them and the magician on the other side. The gun is to be loaded in front of the audience with a marked bullet for "Credibility” so that they audience can verify it. Truthfully though, there are two bullets the real marked one and a wax bullet, which is already in the gun. And they use a modified loading stick to pretend to load the "real" bullet, but it is just stuck inside the end of the stick so that the magician can hide it in their mouth or sleeves. The spray of liquid wax from the barrel of the gun is enough to break the panel of glass. And the magician on the other side will pretend to be catching the real bullet. It requires swiftness, and Magnus is certainly swift and fast.  
  
“But still, anything could go wrong” Raphael says with the same bored voice, but there is concern and worry concealed in his eyes.  
  
Ragnor turns to look at Raphael, “Exactly! Oh bless this lad's heart for he always sees reason!”

Magnus raised both eyebrows, then Ragnor’s glare is back again and Magnus takes a deep breath, preparing to speak but he is cut off.again

“YOU on the other hand are the definition of unreasonable! Besides, doing that trick is unnecessary! People come to the show to watch the ‘assistant's revenge’ or whatever the bloody hell you want to call it! It’s ours and ours alone! No one before us did it and no one knows how! This is our climax part of the show and there is no need for a bullet catch before that!”  
  
“And it seems like you are desperate to shine, but you don’t need to… with all the glitter,” Raphael adds while moving his hand with a flourish in Magnus' direction. Magnus decides to not point out how sad that attempted flourish is, since it will be unhelpful for his cause.  
  
“Ugh, don’t get me started on the glitter,” Ragnor pinches his nose with one hand and holds the other to stop Raphael from mentioning the ‘devil's dust’. Really, Ragnor's life is sad and without sparkle. He will always wears one green item with his monochromatic clothes, and it won’t change no matter how hard Magnus tries... Really, it's so tragic.  
  
Magnus makes a mock offensive face at their words, “Pardon me! The glitter adds more flare and magic to the show.” At that, Ragnor snorts but Magnus continues, “ AND i will do the trick no matter what! it is a known trick yes but not many dare to do it so people thrive when someone does! What’s the harm in giving them something to be excited and marveled about, hmm? Especially those who have seen our previous shows. It will keep them on their tippy-toes and wide-eyed like children!” Ragnor's stiff shoulders drop at that because he realizes how much this means to Magnus.

Magnus clasps both hands on Ragnor's shoulders and lets them stay there while he turns his face to look at Raphael, “Besides, we’ve done this one a multiple of times, even if most were during rehearsals.” Magnus turns back to look at Ragnor, only to be faced with a worried and unguarded look

“But we didn’t rehearse this one this time around,” Ragnor says softly. He is worried for his friend; he always has and always will.  
  
Magnus smiles gratefully while squeezing Ragnor’s shoulder, “ You really think I am that air-headed to not rehearse?” Ragnor nods twice with an honest look on his face, and Magnus sighs. “Look Camille and I--" Ragnor's eyes instantly narrow and he opens his mouth to speak but Magnus squeezes his shoulders again and continues quickly “We have already rehearsed and walked through it three times with the stunts! So please stop worrying like an old lady!”  
  
Ragnor rolls his eyes “Fine!! But I am still so against this so just…. Be careful.” He grabs Magnus’ biceps and stares at him hard.

“Always,” Magnus replies with an honest smile and moves his hands from Ragnor's shoulder to cup his face, to which Ragnor narrows his eyes dangerously. “Now I need my Ingénieur, my sweet Emerald Prince, to make sure I don’t make a fool of myself on stage and nail every trick, yeah?”  
  
Ragnor puffs out his cheeks and pushes Magnus’ hands away, “This conversation is not over, Bane.”

“Oh my heart cannot wait for the rest, Fell,” He winks and waves cheerily at Ragnor who is leaving the makeshift room with a string of curses behind him. Magnus stops short when he sees Raphael staring hard at him with slightly narrowed eyes. Magnus lowers his hand, stares back and waits.  
  
Finally Raphael heaves a sigh and says, “ Be careful, idiota,” then hurries out of the room.  
  
‘They make quite the old married couple,’ Magnus thinks, knowing they are always grumpy, gloomy, and worried about him as if he is a child.  
  
But Magnus understands, and he is not an idiot (Much to their horror). He knows the risks involved, but everything is planned, and their stunt men are to be trusted.  
  
They were overreacting, but he does truly understand since he worries about them too. After all, they are his little make-shift family.  
  
“Three minutes until the start of the show”, He hears Ragnor's voice echo in the backstage area.  
  
Magnus picks up his hat and puts it on. He had picked one card from the vintage card deck box and now he slips it into his inner waist coat pocket. It is tradition. He always has this card with him when he perform; the ace of clubs card.

Ragnor is, as usual at the side of the stage, checking on everything, and watching the performance in case something goes wrong.  
  
Magnus pats his friend's shoulders as he passes him to go to the center of the stage, his heart thudding inside his chest. And he sees camille out of the corner of his eyes, coming next to Ragnor to wait for her cue on to the stage. Magnus takes a deep breath and touches the space where the card is inside his coat. Then he closes his eyes, clears his mind, and nods for the staff to start the music and pull the curtains.  
  
The audience claps their hands and Magnus can see them turning to each other, whispering with excitement!  
  
He flashes a grin and bows down with a hand flourish. “Ladies and gentlemen,” his voice booms, “Boys and girls: It’s an honor and a pleasure to perform for you tonight as the ‘High Magician of London.” His tone turns playful at the end, imitating those who dismissed his name with a raised brow and a thick deep voice as he slightly bowed, and a chuckle rips through the crowd.  
  
He grins again and stands tall, “ I, Magnus Bane, will be your magician tonight. And please welcome our beautiful, darling famulus, Camille Belcourt!” He turns his head right and holds out his hand to beckon her. There is a loud cheer of deep voices and a few catcalls from the audience as she walks the space between Magnus and herself with quick, light steps, the feathers of her dress bouncing. She reaches for his hand and Magnus raises their joined hands high as he turns to face the crowd again while she smiles and waves her free hand at them.  
  
Magnus sees a few flushed ladies looking at Camille with both admiration and jealousy, which makes Magnus smirk, raise an eyebrow, and stage whisper, “So.. Shall we begin?“  


* * *

  
  
The show goes smoothly, perfectly so! It is common for a mistake or two to happen on both sides of the curtains but not tonight apparently.

With Ragnor screaming bloody murder at the lads backstage to get moving , Raphael silently working hard without stopping to manage preparing the instruments for the tricks, everything is top notch. And Magnus is working his magic on stage with light remarks and impossibly fast hands, Camille shining beside him, assisting with perfect timing and without any mistakes.  
  
They start the show with his favorite tricks; card tricks.

As common as they are, his are actually outstanding and the audience loves to see these tricks performed differently from what they are used to. He is an expert with card manipulation, performing it with fluid, easy and fast moves, which makes it look as it he truly is performing real magic. However he is the fastest at card throwing and with his unbelievable force, the cards look as if they are an extension of his body; bending and moving at his will.

But what he loves the most about card tricks is that he can actually engage a few audience members in the act. He enjoys being this close to them, to get to see their bewilderment, as well as the absolute wonder in their eyes and admiration in their faces. The cards, after all, are the reason he became a magician in the first place.  
  
The other sections of the show go just as smoothly.

They range from some production and vanishing tricks -without hurting animals of course. After all, Magnus doesn't want to ‘get his hands dirty’ to prove that he is a real worthy magician. So until Ragnor can come up with a method for vanishing bird without killing them, Magnus refuses to do that kind of trick. Instead he works with objects and focus on transformation; things mostly from the audience like a silk handkerchief that changes color or moving objects from one person's pocket to another.

And with his own twist on the ‘Chinese linking rings’ and ‘Bill in lemon’, the audience is in high spirit. You can feel the air thrumming with joy and excitement for the last part of the show, the assistant's revenge. But before that is the bullet catch of course.  
  
Magnus looks at Camille on his right and she nods encouragingly at him. He gives her a sweet smile and turns back to face the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen,” He begins with an apologetic look on his face. “I know that you are anticipating our last performance of the night but before that we have another trick.” The crowd starts complaining because they want to see the big trick already. But Magnus smiles and holds up both hands to reason with them. “Even if I tell you that you'll be so entertained by it?“ The audience gives him dubious looks, “No? What if i said it’s a bullet catch?”  
  
At that gasps echo through the crowd and excited shouts wash over Magnus. He smirks and raises an eyebrow, “I think we’ve managed to convince them, darling.” He turns to Camille and she smiles, ever so beautiful before she looks to the crowd again. The audience shouts affirmation back at him.  
  
“Okay, so now I’ll need a member of the audience. Any volunteers?” Magnus asks as he skims his gaze over the audience. Immediately, there are a handful of raised hands. “What do you say? Should the lady pick?” He asks Camille with another smile.  
  
She smiles back and moves to the edge of the stage, pretending to be choosing, while really she is merely looking for their stunt, who is disguised among the crowd.  
  
Magnus moves back to the center of the stage as the staff wheels the glass panel to the middle of the stage. Magnus will end up at the right side for the audience to see better. Then he sees a grey head at his left and turns to see Ragnor with his arms crossed and raphael standing there next to Ragnor.

Ragnor's eyes are burning holes at the stunt member as Camille helps him upstage. The man is wearing an oversized coat and a hat shadowing his face with a fake beard. Magnus realizes Ragnor was silently threatening the poor lad to not screw things up which made Magnus almost shake his head with fondness.  
*  
At the moment, Ragnor chooses to stand behind the curtains opposite of the “volunteer” to keep a look out, just in case something goes wrong. It’s his job after all, to ensure that Magnus doesn’t make a fool of himself, or of any of them. But there is this itching, crawling feeling in his chest that just won’t go away. He can admit though that he might be overreacting or being a little ‘dramatic’ as the glitter-headed mucker likes to call him.  
  
But still, Ragnor doesn't move his eyes away from the volunteer. As Magnus started explaining what they are going to do to him and for the audience, but Ragnor doesn't recognize the "volunteer" under the disguise and he silently curses himself for not remembering the backstage staff's faces, since there are just so many of them. By now though, Magnus has taken his place on stage and everything is ready to go so Ragnor cannot worry about staff members or faces. But then he remembers that Raphael is the one responsible about picking and managing the staff so Ragnor relaxes, glancing at Raphael beside him. Immediately he notices Raphael becomes tense and Ragnor's stomach goes cold as he quickly looks back at the stage.  
*  
While Camile moves to stand near the left of the backstage curtains, Magnus waits on his side of the stage for the volunteer to stand in front of the glass panel between Magnus and himself. The gun is lowered and the volunteer's jacket sleeve is covering the gun, which makes Magnus "Tsk”, hoping the audience won’t think suspiciously about it.  
  
“Whenever you are ready, Sir," Magnus says to the volunteer with a smile. The volunteer lifts the gun and points it straight from his midsection as he had been instructed so that Magnus can pretend to catch it as it gets close to his chest.

Then the volunteer lifts his head and Magnus clearly sees the man's face for the first time, chills immediately going down his own spine.

Magnus doesn't recognize him, and not because the disguise is superb or anything, but because Magnus simply doesn't know the man. He glances sideways to look at Camille but she is looking at something backstage. His heart thuds and skips a beat. Magnus needs to catch Camille's eyes, he needs her to reassure him.

Now, the tension in the theater is truly real, at least from one side of the curtains.  
  
Magnus tries to control his breathing, reminding himself that it’s okay because the real bullet is tucked in a secret, small pocket in his sleeve. But then he sees a flash in the volunteer's eyes and suddenly the gun is moved slightly lower.

Everything goes into slow motion after that. All that Magnus can hear now is a ringing in his ears. His vision becomes blurry, fuzzy movements and shapes all around him.

The volunteer pulls the trigger, sound echoing loudly after. The glass shatters in front of Magnus a shadow and Magnus goes completely numb when the blood covers his throat and the left side of his face just as screams of horror fills the once joyful theater.


	2. Escapology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 10 days after that accident in the high magician of London show, the Lightwoods are back with their own new show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again ! and sorry for the late update, life has been very determined to stand in the way of this chapter xD but here we are!
> 
>  
> 
> thank you again to my amazing beta @Ajenno !

Alec has always been fascinated by magic, being surrounded by it since he was a little child, seeing his father performing on the stage and doing some fun tricks at home for his children.  
  
He has always been amazed by the possibilities that the magic gives him, the feeling that there is so much that he doesn't know about the world. That there are many things that could be hidden in plain sight, that one could miss it if you don't look for it. You have to look for it, for the magic. Honestly, what intrigues him the most is how it is done. How can you get people to believe that the impossible is possible? How can one come up with the perfect construction mechanism to make a perfect trick work? How to make it seem so seamless, so fluid, so flawless… believable in a truly unbelievable way?   
  
So he would always sneak into his father's workshop to sit with his father’s Ingénieur and a family friend, Michael Wayland. Michael knew of Alec’s passion even though Alec never said anything about it. It was in the way he looked around silently in wonder, observing what Michael was doing and for what trick. Eventually Michael started to explain things to Alec, to teach him, even giving him some small tasks to so. Alec was the happiest person in the world when he was working in that workshop, he was completely in his element there, since he was creating magic after all. He was making it possible, being able to bring it to life.   
  
Because of that and his natural talent, he grew up learning some simple tricks from his parents and performing it to his younger siblings, teaching them the art later in return. But he has never really liked to stand on a stage, in the spotlight to be the center of everyone's attention. In fact, just thinking about it makes his heart beat faster in fear, his breath becoming short and erratic. If he can’t even stand the attention at dinner parties, imagine a whole theater full of people. No, he has always folded in on himself in crowds, trying to seem invisible, to take away from his height, while he pushes his siblings to take that attention from him.

 

He has always thought people’s attention would be capable of taking his secrets, his life away from him, so he avoids it all together. But his heart still swells with pride and love everytime he sees his siblings being praised because they deserve that considering their tough household.  
  
  
His sister, Isabelle, had always wanted to be a magician. She loved performing magic with passion and learned most of the simpler tricks at a young age. But their mother shot her down saying that magic is a man's realm, and men don’t like to be fooled by a woman. Isabelle, then and there, declared that she eventually would become the first female magician of her age. And Alec knows that nothing will stop her. His sister is a volcano, powerful enough to make islands but also ruin cities.   
  
Jace, his adoptive brother, is rather fond of the type of silly, fun magic, and the joy it brings. He often lets his personality slip in his performance rather than going for complicated magic. Because at the end of the day his real passion is music. He could sit at the piano to compose and play for hours nonstop.   
  
And last but not least, Alec's little brother Max wants to be a magician as well but he is too young, so he is stuck with just learning simple tricks.   
  
When the time comes for Alec to officially start training to take over his father's career, it takes all the courage he can muster to tell his parents about his real passion. That he wants to work as an Ingénieur instead of a magician. But, as expected they are so furious, especially his mom with her, ‘How can he stops the tradition of our family, a well-known family in the magic society,‘ And, ‘Oh how the people will mock us, laugh at us.’ And his father chooses to take his anger out on Michael. How can he not though because in his eyes Michael is responsible for this.   
  
Jace steps in after that and told his parents that he can take over the position if that is okay with them. After a lot of negotiations and terms - because that's what a normal family does obviously- They eventually agree.

 

Being from a magician-family has its perks, of course, the most important of all is that they have a fixed show due to their family old connections with the theater owners. One word from the Lightwoods and they will have the theater for their show.   
  
Alec is well aware that it is not fair for other people, but he can’t help but be grateful for all the opportunities their family provides, and to be able to learn from the best. Although truthfully Alec would like to try and achieve the position he is in on his own someday, to be able to achieve his own show with his own tricks, to get acknowledged by them. Would he ever get to achieve that? Is he qualified enough? Or is this all his family name’s influence? Should he even be proud of his techniques? Or is this all a big lie?   
  
These questions are the ones that haunt him at night sometimes. He knows that he has created some good techniques and at such a young age, but he never gets to test them. Never has them criticized by the public. His parents are perfectionists, always making sure everything in the show is right, and if not, they adjust it to fix it.. So he can never be sure if his created techniques are quite right.   
  
But now is the time to test himself. Now it’s the time to prove his and his siblings' skills. They’ve come back after a two month break which is a long period of time for them. In this profession to stop is to be lost. You have to be constantly moving, inventing, and creating new ideas and shows, or the people will get bored and forget about you.   
  
Tomorrow is their opening night and Alec is both excited and terrified. He is anticipating the people’s reaction to their show. It’s the first show that he and his siblings get to create together, choosing what to perform. They get to pick the clothes, stage equipment, and everything else. And all without their parents' supervision. It is quite liberating.   
  
Of course, that doesn't stop their mother from coming by to their workshop to voice her opinion. They finally ask her to trust them, to which she replied, “I do trust you. You are my children after all. But this is not about trust.This is about upholding the family name. This is a big show and I am not sure how you will handle it.” But she leaves them alone eventually after Isabelle reminds her father of their promise. That stops their mom because they want it to be a surprise for both of their parents.   
  
But truth be told, the past few weeks have been so stressful. Alec sighs. He arrived early at the workshop as usual. He would have slept here the night before but Izzy dragged him away, knowing he would have worked all night to finalize everything so that it was pitch perfect. Alec was grateful he got to rest his body a little since his back was killing him. It ended up screaming in relief as it hit the bed. Sleep did not come though since he was extremely anxious this close to opening night. Currently, he is working on the mechanism of their final trick when a voice interrupts the clanging and banging of his work.   
  
“Good morning big brother,” his little sister's voice fills the workshop and he hears the swish of her skirt as she draws closer. ”I brought you breakfast since you decided to leave home before the sun rose,” Izzy states, rolling her eyes before putting the food basket on his work table.   
  
“Good morning to you too, Izzy.” He looks up from his work and raises his eyebrow. “I got here early because one of us has to be sensible AND responsible.”   
  
“Paranoid you mean!” Comes the sarcastic remark from his brother, Jace.   
  
Alec turns his head to look at Jace who is perfectly styled in brown pants, a cream-colored shirt, brown suspenders, and perfectly styled hair. He is leaning against a glass water tank with a cocky smirk, “Well at least I am not paranoid about how I look or how perfect my hairstyle is all the bloody day,” Alec replies to Jace with an eye roll, which causes Izzy to snort.   
  
“Ouch. You should have told me that you are jealous of my perfect hair! I could have given you a few tips for yours,” he points at Alec’s nest of black hair then winces,  “Although, I doubt it’ll do any good if I am being honest.”   
  
Alec shrugs “Oh well, beauty has never been a strong suit of mine.”   
  
“Sadly so,” Isabelle agrees while she empties the contents of the basket on the work table, ignoring Alec’s whines of protest. “Black suits, white shirts, black pants, white oiled shirts. Your eyes have always been glued to metal and mechanics. You could try to enjoy your life a little more, brother,” She says as she pulls the equipment from his hands and gives him a superior cold look with raised eyebrows when he starts to reach for the tools again. Quickly, he drops his hands and gives the food a disdainful look as Izzy puts the equipment away and Jace chuckles behind him. Alec sighs. “You know that I can’t truly enjoy it, Izzy,” he mumbles softly. Izzy purses her lips to swallow what she really wants to say, knowing that Alec will not be listening anyway.   
  
They talk while Alec eats his simple breakfast. Izzy and Jace do most of the talking as usual. Alec has never felt the need to talk and he prefers to listen to learn about the people around him rather than talking about himself. Which also reflects on his work too since he loves to make his siblings shine brightly on stage. And the applause he hears from behind the curtain always manages to give him a contented smile. It is at those moments when he feels like he is at the top of the world, to feel like he has finally done it. But the doubt always comes back at him at night.   
  
“I am so upset that we didn’t get to watch his show,” Izzy’s voice brings Alec back to the present, not realizing he had spaced out. It must be obvious on his face though because Izzy sighs while Jace gives him a pointed look.   
  
“You haven’t been listening, have you?”   
  
“Sorry I didn’t realize it was happening.”   
  
“Alec, the whole point of this is that you take a break and stop working your brain!” Izzy scolds him softly.   
  
He gives them both an apologetic smile “So what show are you talking about again?” He asks, having no idea why both of them sigh.   
  
“Alec, brother, we’ve been talking about wanting to go to that show for awhile now,” Jace explains, and Alec frowns. “Seriously? Who did we talk to all these times then? It seems like you didn’t listen at all!”   
  
“It might have slipped my mind,” Alec murmurs with a shrug.   
  
“Or you might have labeled it as ‘unimportant’ in that brain of yours," Jace retorts with a raised eyebrow.   
  
“It happened involuntarily! So, out with it, what show?”   
  
“The High Magician of London of course,” Izzy exclaims while flailing her arms around in indignation.   
  
Of course! How could he forget? It is Magnus Bane’s show, one of the best magicians of this age, arguably of all time, giving that he was at the beginning of it all.   
  
For months, his siblings didn’t seem to be able to stop talking about this ‘new’  rising magician and gossiping about him at any chance they get. They were dying to see him as he was busy working on this very particular show. What didn’t they know was that he wasn’t ‘new’ at all, Alec had met him before...Well, more like saw him really.   
  
It was 8 years ago. Alec was still working to grow as an Ingénieur and was still learning from his mentor, Michael. That had led them to a small trip outside of the city to buy new supplies for their lessons and work. Alec had been wearing a newsboy cap low over his head and a big brown jacket over dark trousers and a cream-colored shirt. He and Michael had bought almost everything and were waiting for a shopkeeper to bring their required equipment from the storage.   
  
Alec was staring mindlessly out of the shop window, thinking about new ways to improve the flow of the trick they were working on when Michael nudged him. “You can go watch if you want. It’ll take quite some time for the equipment to arrive.” Alec had looked at Michael in confusion before Michael nodded his head towards the glass window. Alec looked back again and noticed for the first time the small crowd at an entrance of a pub with a small sign that read, “ Magnus’ magical hands” Alec raised his eyebrow at the ridiculously suggestive name. He was certainly unimpressed but Michael laughed, “It’ll do you no harm to check it out while we are here.”   
  
In the end, Alec had never been more grateful for his pushy mentor. Even now, eight years later, Alec still remembers how he felt sitting there watching Magnus Bane. The man had been, well..quite magical. And that rubbish name had made perfect sense when the show had started. It was a card magic show... And it was real magic, right there in front of Alec. The way the cards wielded at Magnus' will, disappearing and reappearing from his slim elegant fingers; the force behind his card throws. There was no room for complicated equipment for these tricks, so Alec assumed they required some minimal trick mechanism. But for the love of God, Alec hadn't figured out how what he had seen had been possible. He left that pub like a child experiencing magic all over again, with the utmost respect for the handsome, charming, and talented magician, Magnus Bane. Alec hadn’t seen him since, but he kept an ear out for his accomplishments. Because Alec had no doubt Magnus would make it big and he had. And Alec couldn’t wait to see how far Magnus had come, even if Alec didn’t seem interested.   
  
But that leads to a confused Alec now, as his frown deepens. “Wait, didn’t you already buy us 3 tickets? Why can’t you..uh we  go?” He questions his siblings, genuinely curious, knowing his parents haven’t disapproved. It is common to do this, to go to another magician's shows. That is, ‘As long as you disguise yourselves, of course, we don’t want the papers talking,’ his mother would say.   
  
Alec feels as if he has missed something because both Jace and Izzy’s jaws drop to the ground and stare at Alec as if he is out of this world. Well, in his defense, his world has been divided around their home, workshop, and the theater, especially in the last two weeks.   
  
“Something happened, didn't it?” It comes out more like a question than a statement.   
  
“We should really get you out of this workshop more often,” Jace mumbles to himself as he stares far off.   
  
“Something? SOMETHING?? Alec, the papers haven’t stopped talking about that accident with the bullet catch ten days ago!” Izzy exclaims, terrified of her brother’s ignorance of the world around them.   
  
But Alec’s brain stops working at the words “ bullet catch” and “ accident”.   
  
“What accident? How did it happen?” He inquires after a minute of silence.   
  
Jace and Isabelle's faces turn grim. “Nobody is sure how it happened , even now,” Jace says and turns to Izzy, who sighs sadly and finishes Jace's sentence.   
  
“It cost them the whole show and well…A hand.”   
  
The silence fills the room again and Alec is too shocked to react...This could mean the end... The end of a hardworking, brilliant man…The end of _him_. But then he sees his siblings looking uncomfortable, and staring at him again  “Whose hand?” He can barely breathe out the words, dreading the answer.

  
  


* * *

“You, young lad, are on a whole other level of difficulty,” a man’s gruff voice says. It is oddly familiar, but it is muffled.

 

“Well you could just tell me how to do it and then we can move on,” Magnus hears himself say. But something is off about it. He realizes he also can’t really see anything, no matter how much he blinks.

 

The man’s voice came back again along with the sound of a deep belly-laugh. “Oh no, no, no can do laddie. You have to discover that yourself I am afraid. Just don’t think of it as complicated as you always do. It really

is quite simple.”

 

“Ugh fine! FINE ! I’ll do it even better than you, just wait,” Magnus finally realizes what is wrong with his voice. He sounds younger...Like a child.

 

“How ‘bout you have 6 hours to do so? Deal?” The man’s voice comes back clearer, dripping with amusement

 

“Deal, Aldous!” Magnus hears himself reply.

 

Aldous...ALDOUS! Magnus feels his brain jarring in realization and tries to scream at the darkness surrounding him. But he can’t hear anything at all either. Suddenly, a bright light consumes him. His vision is blurry and

spots are dancing in his eyes. Magnus blinks a couple of times and squints to see.

 

“SEE?? I did it, Aldous. I did it!!” Magnus sees his younger self-jumping up and down. He must’ve been 10 by then.

 

“Oh my! You actually did it!” But there is no surprise in Aldous’ old face, only pride in his warm, old features. White hair is pulled back in his signature ponytail and a neatly trimmed beard, despite his poor overused

clothes.

 

“Hah! I beat you, old man!” Young Magnus points his finger at Aldous with a triumphant look.

 

“Well…Almost actually,” Aldous replies with a mysterious smile and a raised eyebrow.

 

“What? What do you mean? I redid your trick after seeing it only twice with a better result!” Young Magnus argues in a loud voice, and present time Magnus winces, hearing himself. What is he doing here?

 

“Exactly, you redid it. You can only beat me if you come up with a better trick on your own, in your own time of course.”

 

“But I thought I only had to redo it--”

 

“That was the point of today’s exercise, yes, but you also have to start thinking outside of the box.”

 

“That’s not fair,” Magnus puffs out his cheeks. “Then how ...How do you do it? Come up with these ideas?” Young Magnus asks with a look of hunger in his eyes; hunger for knowledge, for the impossible; hunger to prove his worth.

 

“Well the answer is easy,” Aldous begins before he pauses dramatically while looking down at Magnus. “It’s because I am magic,” He explains as his eyes sparkle and he stares at Magnus with a small smile.

 

Magnus frowns, his expression serious. “If you are magic…Then what does that make me?” He asks, his right hand fumbling with the hem of his big shirt nervously.

 

Aldous blinks down in surprise at the shift in conversation. He kneels down to look at Magnus in the eyes. Aldous smiles warmly while putting his large, wrinkled hand on top of Magnus’ small, fidgeting one.

 

“Well, the answer to that question laddie is much easier.” Magnus raises both eyebrows, listening attentively. Aldous lowers his voice as if telling a big secret.

  


“You, Magnus, are the stepchild of magic.”

 

*

 

Magnus opens his eyes to the hazy light streaming from the window to his shared room with Ragnor. Everything is still foggy. Magnus can see the silhouette of the card box at his bedside table. He blinks a couple of times, unclenching the pillow he is hugging to his chest and turns to lay on his back. As he stares at the cracked ceiling, his dream comes back to him slowly. It’s been a long time since he dreamt like this, reliving his past. Especially after that day…There were all these nightmares. Thinking about it causes a heavy feeling to settle in his chest and belly. Magnus swallows thickly, his throat tight. He takes a few deep breaths trying to calm himself down, and eventually, his breathing becomes normal after a few

minutes.

 

Then he hears a few murmurs and cursing in the other room in the apartment. Magnus licks his dry lips and moves his heavy legs to the edge to the bed, willing his body to get up. His whole body is heavy like he is carrying boulders on his back. He even feels slightly dizzy and leans against the wall as he makes his way to the other, much larger, room. That’s how he has woken up in the last ten days, disoriented, detached for a while. Wanting nothing other than crawling back under his blanket and sleep.

 

Catarina and Ragnor were fussing over the kitchen sink.

 

And what Magnus sees makes his breathing heavy again, punching through his guts. Suddenly he is back there, standing on stage in front of the volunteer with the bullet making its way slowly to him. The glass shattering into millions of pieces, reflecting the lights everywhere and for a moment, he thinks, ‘Beautiful’ as he waits for the bullet to hit him.

 

It does hit and blood goes everywhere but it never hit him. Magnus is gasping for breath and his body begins shaking uncontrollably as he sees Ragnor double over with a pained roar in front of Magnus. The bullet hit Ragnor’s right hand. Ragnor had been able to see what was going to happen even before Magnus did and had run across the stage and covered Magnus’ body with his. It wasn’t supposed to kill Magnus though, the bullet. Apparently, the plan was for it to only hit Magnus’ right hand. This would have been a sick twist even worse than death to Magnus because it would have left him incapable of pursuing his dream fully. Instead, the incident had ruined his best friend’s career.

 

Magnus remembers, a few days after the accident, overhearing Catarina and Ragnor talking.

“Maybe if you acted differently, pushed Magnus away or something, it wouldn’t have come to this…”

 

“The thing is, I would do it again Catarina. If you put me right back to that situation now, I would do it all over again. I don’t regret it… Looks like that bugger already has someone who would die for him” Ragnor adds with a dry chuckle. This might have made a person feel warm, or grateful, but it made Magnus bloody terrified; terrified at the intensity of it. The fact that his best friend would throw away his life like that to save Magnus, that Magnus would lose someone important again because they cared for him so much. Magnus felt guilt consume him, settling there in the center of his chest.

 

Now Magnus is standing there, watching as Catarina replaces Ragnor’s bandages. At this angle Magnus can see Ragnor’s injured hand and the absence of the top of Ragnor’s pinkie and ring figure; everything above the first knuckle on those two fingers is gone. It makes Magnus sick because he knows this is his fault. He did this to Ragnor because he didn’t listen. What happened to Ragnor should have happened to Magnus instead.

 

“By the Lord, Catarina! Can’t you be more gentle?” Ragnor hisses at her.

 

“Just stop moving! I don’t understand why it’s still bleeding like this. The blood clogged and dried. It makes it harder to remove the bandage!” Catarina drags Ragnor’s hand back underneath the water, hoping that’ll make

things easier.

 

“Is this how you treat the injured lads at the orphanage? Don’t they get enough abuse from life already?” Ragnor tries to pull his hand out of her reach, and Cat pinches him on the bicep hard in retaliation. “Ouch! You--”

 

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Quit your whining--” Cat stops, noticing Magnus standing at the threshold of his room. “Magnus!”

 

“Good morning,” He says, seeing Ragnor’s shoulders tense. Ragnor stops cradling his right hand and turns around with a careful smile.

 

“Well, it’s actually noon, you sleepy head”.

 

“Oh. I just didn’t…” Magnus rubs his thumb and middle finger in a nervous gesture as he looks around and notices someone missing. “Where is Raphael?” Magnus sees Catarina’s tense shoulders slump down before she responds.

 

“He went to investigate around, see if he can find anything about the notebook, about her, or whatever happened.”

 

Magnus blinks slowly and Ragnor’s face turns furious.

 

“That SNAKE is behind the bullet--” Ragnor begins, voice booming, before Catarina hits his shoulder to get his attention. Ragnor stops and looks over at Magnus’ pale face.

 

“You don’t know that, not for sure,” she whispers in warning before she smiles softly at Magnus. “I should finish wrapping this idiot up. Do you want breakfast?”

 

But Magnus’ mind is already somewhere else. After what happened at the theater, Camille just… Disappeared. In the chaos that had occurred, the volunteer fled, and Magnus didn’t spare the man another thought. His head

was screaming ‘Ragnor, Ragnor, Ragnor,’ as he held his friend while Ragnor screamed in agony, trying to stop his hand from bleeding even more. Raphael had run after the volunteer but it was all a mess. The audience was being evacuated and he had lost track of the man. Then Raphael had come back to

the stage shortly after, running like the hellhounds were after him and screaming, ‘CAMILLE’ at the top of his lungs. Magnus lifted his head from watching the medic who arrived to tend to Ragnor.

 

“Camille,” Magnus thought as he turned his head, looking for her anxiously as Raphael disappeared backstage. Magnus didn’t think of her before Raphael had screamed, thinking she was behind Magnus, trying to get help or...Whatever the reason, Magnus needed answers but she was gone and he was both heartbroken and confused.

 

Ragnor had never blamed him. He had blamed only Camille but that could have been a mistake as well. After all, she could have been scared and terrified of what happened so she fled. In fact, Magnus could list several excuses for that situation but none of them could stop this feeling eating at his chest whenever he thought of her. Either way, it was he who decided not to tell Ragnor earlier. It was Magnus who decided to do that bloody trick against Ragnor's wishes.

 

Magnus is brought to the present by the sound of the apartment door opening. He also notices that Catarina and Ragnor are almost done preparing the late breakfast.

 

“Ragnor, for God’s sake, stop working your injured hand or it’ll start bleeding again,” Comes Raphael's stern voice as he enters the room.

 

Ragnor rolls his eyes. “Well, if I want to work soon I need to get used to it, don’t I?” he picks a glass with his right hand. The glass shakes violently before falling down, hitting the ground and breaking beside Ragnor’s foot. “Oh bollocks!” That’s the thing too. Something went wrong along with losing two fingers. Ragnor's hand won’t stop shaking whenever he tries to hold something.

 

‘Nerve damage,’ the doctor had said. ‘There is no cure for it, but long treatments can alleviate the symptoms.’

 

Ragnor had scoffed at the doctor with an ‘I can deal with it and get back to work in no time.’ Thankfully Catarina had convinced him to take the treatments while ‘dealing with it’ whatever that was. But Ragnor's fingers need to heal first. And he isn’t giving them enough time to do so. Magnus moves to pick up the glass shards quietly. When he finishes and stands up, Ragnor is staring at him with an unreadable expression. Magnus averts his eyes and hears Ragnor sigh. Magnus isn't sure if it is from relief or something else.

 

“You have to let them heal first, Ragnor,” Magnus mumbles while throwing the glass pieces away.

 

“Exactly, and by doing that you’ll start your treatment soon and get back to work sooner,” Catarina quips it while taking a seat at the small table, trying to ease the tension as Raphael sits down next.

 

“Catarina my dear, you do realize I will start working as soon as my bloody fingers heal, right?” Ragnor states, matter-of factly, as he also sits. Magnus comes over, taking his place between Catarina and Raphael.

 

“Seriously Ragnor, can’t you wait a little? I am starting to think this is a serious addiction of yours,” Catarina says with a sigh.

 

"Cat is right. Besides there is no show to get back to now, nothing at all," Magnus reminds them all.

 

“Magnus, you do realize that to stop after that is to lose a second opportunity forever?” Raphael asks, cautiously.

 

Magnus doesn't understand how they expect him to get back to work , how Ragnor is jumping to get back to work after everything that happened. Honestly, Magnus is still very confused and angry about it all. “Our notebook is stolen, Raphael. We can't perform our exclusive tricks anymore, not unless we catch the thief and stop their show. Which, I might remind you, we aren’t even close to doing so.” Magnus snaps out.

 

Three days after the accident, Raphael went to move their equipment from the theater back to their workshop only to find signs of an intruder. Raphael had checked their safe then the drawers to find that Magnus and Ragnor’s notebook was missing; stolen.

 

Within it was their climax trick, appropriately titled the Assistant's Revenge. It was a trick that Magnus and Ragnor came up with, an escape trick of sorts. One of the two performers, the restrainee (famulus), is placed in a standing position in a large frame like door and is restrained there with various straps, chains, and locks. The second performer, the restrainer (magician), circles the frame, drawing a curtain. Almost as soon as the magician disappears behind the frame, the famulus immediately appears from the other side of the apparatus, drawing back the curtain to reveal the magician in her place.

 

The trick secret was that the framework can be opened from behind, so everything used to restrain is real and in place when you look at it from the front, and when they roll the curtains the restrainee opened the frame and exchange places quickly with the restrainer.

 

“Which is why we have to start working soon,” Ragnor says casually as he tries to use his right hand to eat. But it ends up shaking so hard he misses his mouth a couple of times before switching to his left hand. “We need to start working on new tricks and developing our old tricks with unseen twists. It’ll take a long time, so we HAVE to start as soon as possible." Magnus is feeling hollow just thinking about standing on the stage again and his own hands start to shake. “Besides,” Ragnor adds as an afterthought while clenching and unclenching his right hand. “It’ll give us some time to prepare ourselves to perform again, so when we do start again, we will have an entire show already orchestrated.”

 

Ragnor smiles a broken smile up at Magnus, who lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 'Right, both of us are messed up….. but it is still my fault,' Magnus think as he returns a weak smile at Ragnor. They continued eating silently until Catarina speaks up again.

 

“Well...I hope you guys are okay with being in the audience in four days,” She states, ever so casually, making the others turn to look at her.

 

“Pardon me?” Raphael inquires when she doesn't elaborate.

 

“Because...” She pulls something out of her skirt pocket. “...Weeks ago, I bought tickets to the Lightwood show," she tells them with a soft smile.

 

“To the bloody Lightwood show?” Ragnor asks stupidly.

 

“But it’s impossible to get tickets for them!” Raphael eyes are wide as he looks at Catarina with admiration.

 

“Yes but I have always known how much you guys wanted to go to one of their shows,” Magnus snorts at her comment. "At least everyone except Magnus. Anyway, I tried to get tickets for their opening night tomorrow but only  managed to get the tickets for the fourth show.” She places the tickets in the middle of the table. “That is if you guys are okay with going of course,” she adds softly, giving them the final decision.

 

“No question about it. You worked hard to get us tickets, Catarina. We will go,” Ragnor begins before he points at Magnus with a fork. “You too! Take it as a chance to insult the Lightwoods live, or to see if you are wrong about them and that they deserve to be praised."

 

“Well even if they do deserve their fame, you cannot ignore the privileges they have,”  Magnus retorts.

 

“If I was a Lightwood, I would take advantage of my privileges,” Raphael takes a sip of his coffee with his statement. “It is only the smart thing to do after all.”

 

Magnus rolls his eyes “Obviously you’d say that. What if I am right and their show is actually rubbish?”

 

“Then I will do anything you want for a week,” Raphael challenges Magnus.

 

Magnus smirks and Catarina laughs as Magnus replies, “Good then! We have a date.”

 

Each one of them pick up their ticket from the center of the table, and Magnus sees Ragnor’s right hand gripping the ticket with three shaking fingers. Magnus' smile immediately vanishes as his blood turns cold. For a moment, Magnus let himself forget and be happy, only to be brutally reminded of what had happened to his friend. And it had all happened because of Magnus.

 

* * *

 

Magnus pulls his gloves off as he takes his seat between Ragnor and Catarina in the theater, Raphael sitting next to Ragnor. They were great seats , right in the middle section of the theater, with Raphael's seat next to an aisle.

 

“I can’t wait to see them. I heard the Lightwood sibling are gems to the eyes,” Catarina gushes excitedly to Magnus, wearing her best cream-colored dress which compliments her brown skin color well. Her long black hair is styled into a low bun with a big braid circling her head.

 

“That’ll only help them with the distraction, lucky bastards,” Ragnor murmurs. He is still wearing his leather gloves, concealing his injured hand with some fabric in the missing fingers' sockets.

 

“Well thank God you and Raphael know how to keep being unaffected and professional,” Magnus retorts lightly, trying to swallow the feeling that has started to crawl up his throat again.

 

“And you?” Raphael asks with a raised and judgmental eyebrow.

 

“Me? Oh we all know how much I appreciate beauty in all forms,” Magnus says with a flourish.

 

“Frankly, I think even beauty cannot distract you from the last trick,” Ragnor says, looking smugly at Magnus.

 

They heard earlier that the Lightwoods had come up with a trick that freed a bird without killing it. It is the show’s final climax, and Magnus is already impressed and surprised that the Lightwoods are capable of doing such a thing. From what Magnus had heard, they didn’t care to get their hands dirty for their tricks. Magnus was dying to see that particular trick but he would never admit it. He opens his mouth to reply to Ragnor but their conversation is cut short when the lights dim and a voice echoes.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s our greatest pride and pleasure to introduce to you the best show in the theater; the one and only, Lightwood family!” Cheering and applause resounds from the crowd as the curtains start to rise. A handsome blond man walks to the center of the stage wearing a grey suit with a long tailcoat and a dark grey waist-coat. His arms spread wide, welcoming the applause.

 

“Thank you! Thank you! It is our pleasure to come back with a new show and many tricks for you again,” He tells the audience with a wink. Magnus turns to Catarina with a raised eyebrow, but she waves him off and keeps her attention on the stage. “I am Jonathan Lightwood, your humble magician and please give a round of applause to my beloved sister, our famulus Isabelle Lightwood.” A beautiful black-haired girl with dark wide eyes and dark lipstick walks confidently to her brother's side and the audience roars, which is quite understandable. The first thing that crosses Magnus' mind is that her lipstick color is a beautiful color. The second thought is that she looks nothing like her brother, Jonathan.

 

“Is it just me or do the siblings look nothing like ‘siblings‘?” Magnus asks in a hushed voice as said siblings start the show with simple, common tricks.

 

“Jonathan is adopted,” Raphael's voice answers him before the others turn to look at him. “What?” he asks, looking back at their bewildered faces.

 

“Sometimes I truly wonder how much information you have tucked in that brain of yours,” Ragnor says with admiration.

 

“And more importantly...How?” Magnus asks as he leans over towards Raphael with a pointed look.

 

“Various clever ways, and let me assure you, it’s not what you are thinking,” he finishes before turning back to watch the show.

 

Magnus hears Catarina chuckle behind him and the word "pervert" is spoken between her chuckles. Magnus glares at Raphael for good measure before sitting straight in his chair again to continue watching the show.

 

As the show goes on, Magnus sees the appeal in the Lightwood siblings and their show. It is light and funny. They take every trick and add an element of joy to it, so the audience can be amazed and laughing at the seamless way it is all performed. Magnus is glad that he agreed to come here because it reminds him again of the joy these type of shows bring to the audience. That same joy shines brightly from the magician and the famulus as well. And ironically, Magnus hasn't thought about Camille since the introduction of the famulus. What peaks Magnus' interest next is that Isabelle does more than assist with the show. In fact, Magnus can pick out the times she actually performs the trick herself, although to the audience it appears as if she is still just assisting.

 

Ragnor apparently notices too though because he lets out a low, impressed whistle. Raphael and Catarina lean forward with confused looks, trying to see what made Magnus smirk and Ragnor raise his eyebrows. It isn’t a simple trick Isabelle performed after all. And that makes Magnus decide that he rather likes her.

 

The middle section of the show is a sequence of quick-change acts. Apparently it is Jonathan’s favorite type of trick, noted by the sheer happiness in his face while he performs the tricks. The tricks starting off with a quick simple handkerchief color change, moving to change the shape of his hat and tie to changing Isabelle’s outfits six times! And all done with amazingly flawless flow. Isabelle is holding the last  blue outfit with one hand before Jonathan pulls the fabric to conceal her from the audience and exactly four seconds later he drops the fabric and she is wearing the blue outfit she was just holding. The resulting reaction is one of Catarina screaming in delight! The highlight of the section is when Jonathan changes his own outfit five times. His final coat is black and as he bows the audience starts cheering again. When Jonathan straightens, one can note the inner side of his tailcoat has changed from black to white and the audience roars once more.

 

Magnus is speechless and clapping while Ragnor laughs and stands up to clap more. “Bloody hell that is brilliant! That’s a signature trick right there!” Raphael is nodding while clapping next to Ragnor, also quite impressed himself. Isabelle and Jonathan bow for the last time and blow kisses before going backstage to get ready for the final section of two tricks.

 

“I really need to meet their Ingénieur! God, the structure and trick mechanism of this show is one of the best I’ve ever seen between all the poor Ingénieurs.” There is pure joy in Ragnor’s green eyes as well as admiration. “It’s so complicated yet they simplified it so much."

 

“Oh sadly no one knows who is the Ingénieur of the Lightwood siblings,” Catarina points out.

 

“Even I couldn’t obtain that information with all the resources I have. It seems that the Lightwoods are determined to keep him a secret,” Raphael says, seeming pissed off at the fact.

 

"If anyone could unravel it, it would have been you Raphael dear,” Catarina reassures him, watching him burning holes in the curtains with his glare. Magnus notices that after that Catarina and Ragnor turn to stare at him, waiting for his opinion.

 

“I admit it. I’ll give it to them,” Magnus says with a satisfied smile. “The Ingénieur IS brilliant, but the Lightwoods wouldn’t be as amazing without him.” He knows he is being childish but there is a big chance the work was dumped over the Ingénieur without them helping create the show. Given that the Ingénieur's identity is concealed, it can't be a good sign.

 

“So that means that you are not as amazing without me?” Ragnor asks with a raised brow and a playful look.

 

Magnus stares at him long enough to make Ragnor’s smile waver. “Yes,” Magnus tell his friend sincerely, his throat feeling dry. “I am not.”

 

Ragnor blinks in surprise. He was probably expecting a snarky remark. He opens his mouth but Magnus turns his head to look at the stage again. And as if sensing his dilemma, the curtains rise for the final time this evening. Cat wraps her hand around Magnus, squeezing it. Magnus turns his hand and intertwines their fingers to squeeze back, always grateful for her presence in his life.

 

There is a water tank in the middle of the stage now. 'Water tank escape,' Magnus thinks, realizing, that this is the first trick of the show's climax.

 

“An escapology trick,” Ragnor murmurs.

 

“And we all know who is the best at escaping handcuffs due to his long experience with them, don’t we?” comes Raphael's sarcastic voice to which Magnus rolls his eyes.

 

“Speaking of which, why don’t you perform such tricks Magnus? You are the fastest person I know who can get out of any type of handcuffs,” Catarina murmurs, genuine curiosity in her voice along with a hint of mischief.

 

Magnus doesn't move his gaze from the stage as Jonathan starts to explain the trick

“Because, against popular beliefs, I do not enjoy being handcuffed,” Magnus explains.

 

Ragnor and Raphael snort at that “Sure, and that explains why you always end up handcuffed,” Ragnor teases.

 

"Now ladies and gentlemen, we will be needing two volunteers to tie up my sister,” Jonathan's voice rings out and Magnus chokes at the words.

 

The audience’s excited cheering becomes a buzz in Magnus' ears. He tries to breathe normally and act nonchalant but notices that Ragnor’s left knee is moving nervously. Catarina holds Magnus' hand firmer, and he sees from the corner of his eye that Raphael squeezes Ragnor’s knee, holding it firmly. Magnus manages to compose himself. This is ridiculous and unreasonable.  Ragnor is right there beside him, along with Catarina and Raphael….. But Camille isn't.

 

Magnus pushes the thought away as he watches two ‘volunteers’ tie the hands and legs of the beautiful Isabelle. Jonathan puts a hook through the ties at her wrists and then she is lifted up into the air, positioned over the water tank. She is dumped into the tank, the top lid closed and locked, while Jonathan moves to obscure the tank from view with a curtain.

 

“Want to make a bet?” Ragnor begins. “I bet, that she will get out before the one minute mark.”

Raphael scoffs. “Come on now, she is not a super woman.”

 

“I believe she can do it,” Answers Magnus and Catarina agrees.

 

“She might be able to but the suspense grows the anticipation of the audience,” Raphael replies matter-of-factly.

 

They watch in anticipation as it gets closer and closer to the one minute mark and the audience grows anxious as is expected.

 

“Oh, bloody hell,” Ragnor whispers in horror as a tall, dark-haired man runs to the stage carrying two axes. Jonathan removes the curtain quickly, only to see a still tied, terrified Isabelle.

 

“Oh my God!” Catarina screams as the two men start to hit the tank with all their might without much luck, due to how thick the tank is. Catarina gets up and runs to the stage to help as people begin to scream in horror.

 

The others get up to hurry after Catarina . Suddenly Raphael curses and storms off in the opposite direction. Ragnor and Magnus turn around to see Raphael running toward the exit, just as someone is slipping out. ‘One of the volunteers,’ Magnus realizes with a jolt.

 

There is a splash and a joint exclamation from the audience. Magnus and Ragnor look back at the stage to see that they managed to get Isabelle out. Catarina is leaning over Isabelle's still body and there is Jonathan, the dark-haired man and a bald man. They are all fussing over Isabelle while a dark-haired woman cries on the floor near them, clutching a blond child.

 

Seeing that the famulus was out and in Catarina’s hands, Magnus exchanges a look with Ragnor and both of them run with all their might toward the exit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again you can find me on twitter @mortallwarlock and i will be checking this hashtag #AofCFic if you want to post reactions etc !!
> 
> \- jace's quick change acts are based off Arturo Brachetti .

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on twitter @mortallwarlock and i will be checking this hashtag #AofCFic if you want to post reactions etc !!
> 
> tricks explanation :
> 
> -The Chinese linking rings is a classic of illusion magic. In the traditional effect, solid metal rings appear to link and unlink, pass through each other, and form chains and other complex patterns and configurations
> 
> -The bill in lemon is an effect in which a magician requests a currency note from a spectator and makes the note vanish, then proceeding to slice a lemon open to show the note inside.


End file.
